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In the present study previously isolated Weissella cibaria CMG DEX3 capable of producing high molecular weight, water soluble dextran (Ahmed et al., 2012) is characterized for most efficient less expensive carbon, nitrogen sources, micro and macro nutrients by utilizing a multifactorial Placket-Burman statistical design for optimization of dextran production. A twelve run Plackett-Burman experimental model with slight modification was utilized to evaluate the impact of ten diverse nutrients on the production of dextran by the bacterial isolate Weissella cibaria CMG DEX3.

Viroids are tiny single-stranded circular RNA pathogens that infect plants. Viroids do not encode any proteins, yet cause an assortment of symptoms. The following review describes viroid classification, molecular biology and spread. The review also discusses viroid pathogenesis, host interactions and detection. The review concludes with a description of future prospects in viroid research.

Naturally occurring viral nanomaterials have gained popularity owing to their biocompatible and biodegradable nature. Plant virus nanoparticles (VNPs) can be used as nanocarriers for a number of biomedical applications. Plant VNPs are inexpensive to produce, safe to administer and efficacious as treatments. The following review describes how plant virus architecture facilitates the use of VNPs for imaging and a variety of therapeutic applications, with particular emphasis on cancer. Examples of plant viruses which have been engineered to carry drugs and diagnostic agents for specific types of cancer are provided. The drug delivery system in response to the internal conditions is known as stimuli response, recently becoming more applicable using plant viruses based VNPs. The review concludes with a perspective of the future of plant VNPs and plant virus-like particles (VLPs) in cancer research and therapy.

Background & Objective: Spontaneous pregnancy loss has always been the frustrating experience for the couples and concern clinician. Chromosomal abnormality in either of the parent is considered to be the one of the leading cause of recurrent spontaneous miscarriages. This study was designed to evaluate the possible chromosomal etiology of miscarriage and the subsequent intimacy of maternal or paternal genetic abnormality. Methods: This case-control study was conducted between January 2016 and October 2016 at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. A total of thirty-two couples were selected who had suffered with recurrent spontaneous miscarriages (RSM). Using conventional cytogenetic technique karyotyping was performed on all of the subjects. For the control twenty couples were also selected with no history of pregnancy loss. All the karyotypes were recorded on the standard method. Data was analyzed through SPSS version 22. Results: Among thirty-two cases nine cases were found to have abnormal karyotype. In which sex chromosomal trisomy=02 (46,XY/47,XXY), marker chromosome=01 (47,XX,+mar), Robertsonian translocation=01 (45,XY,der,(14:21),(q10;q10)), reciprocal translocation=01 (46,XX,t(11;22)(q23;q11.2)), inversion=02 (46,XX,inv(9)(p11q13)) and minor structural abnormalities=02 (46,XX,15PS+) were found. Approximately equal ratio with 1:1.25 was observed among male and female carrier respectively. Non-significant difference was found between the ages of both carriers (p=0.34). Though a significant different value was calculated in the case of number of miscarriage (p=0.004*). Moreover, no significant association was found among spontaneous miscarriage (SM) and recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM) with respect to maternal age (p= 0.157). Conclusion: In the recent study possible chromosomal abnormalities suggested the evaluation of the patient with the history of recurrent spontaneous miscarriage must include conventional cytogenetic. Moreover, probe development and extended investigation can ease the prognosis among pregnancy related complication.

Background & Objective: Spontaneous pregnancy loss has always been the frustrating experience for the couples and concern clinician. Chromosomal abnormality in either of the parent is considered to be the one of the leading cause of recurrent spontaneous miscarriages. This study was designed to evaluate the possible chromosomal etiology of miscarriage and the subsequent intimacy of maternal or paternal genetic abnormality. Methods: This case-control study was conducted between January 2016 and October 2016 at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi. A total of thirty-two couples were selected who had suffered with recurrent spontaneous miscarriages (RSM). Using conventional cytogenetic technique karyotyping was performed on all of the subjects. For the control twenty couples were also selected with no history of pregnancy loss. All the karyotypes were recorded on the standard method. Data was analyzed through SPSS version 22. Results: Among thirty-two cases nine cases were found to have abnormal karyotype. In which sex chromosomal trisomy=02 (46,XY/47,XXY), marker chromosome=01 (47,XX,+mar), Robertsonian translocation=01 (45,XY,der,(14:21),(q10;q10)), reciprocal translocation=01 (46,XX,t(11;22)(q23;q11.2)), inversion=02 (46,XX,inv(9)(p11q13)) and minor structural abnormalities=02 (46,XX,15PS+) were found. Approximately equal ratio with 1:1.25 was observed among male and female carrier respectively. Non-significant difference was found between the ages of both carriers (p=0.34). Though a significant different value was calculated in the case of number of miscarriage (p=0.004*). Moreover, no significant association was found among spontaneous miscarriage (SM) and recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM) with respect to maternal age (p= 0.157). Conclusion: In the recent study possible chromosomal abnormalities suggested the evaluation of the patient with the history of recurrent spontaneous miscarriage must include conventional cytogenetic. Moreover, probe development and extended investigation can ease the prognosis among pregnancy related complication. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.5.678 How to cite this:Hanif MI, Khan A, Arif A, Shoeb E. Cytogenetic investigation of couples with recurrent spontaneous miscarriages. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(5):1422-1427. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.5.678 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Immunotherapy potentiates a patient’s immune response against some forms of cancer, including malignant tumors. In this Special Report, we have summarized the use of nanoparticles that have been designed for use in cancer immunotherapy with particular emphasis on plant viruses. Plant virus-based nanoparticles are an ideal choice for therapeutic applications, as these nanoparticles are not only capable of targeting the desired cells but also of being safely delivered to the body without posing any threat of infection. Plant viruses can be taken up by tumor cells and can be functionalized as drug delivery vehicles. This Special Report describes how the future of cancer immunotherapy could be a success through the merger of computer-based technology using plant-virus nanoparticles., Lay abstract The nonpathogenic nature of plant viral nanoparticles makes them an ideal choice for therapeutic applications such as cancer. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind the immune response to cancer has facilitated the use of nanotechnology as an effective cancer therapy. Biologically active self-replicating plant virus particles can be introduced to the bloodstream of the human body and used as effective drug delivery vehicles. This Special Report describes how a combination of computer-based technology and plant-virus nanoparticles can assist in cancer immunotherapy.

Chromosomal numerical aberration is one of the leading reasons behind spontaneous pregnancy loss. The probability of spontaneous miscarriage increases with advance parental age. After miscarriage patients and their families feel desperate, which consequently create psychological illness. The review evaluates current techniques being used in the diagnosis and focuses toward a recently introduced molecular technique Quantitative Fluorescent-PCR (QF-PCR) which based on the use of fluorescent primers (probes). Several published articles were selected for the review regarding the frequency of spontaneous miscarriages, its reasons, and outcomes. Studies that focus on QF-PCR, karyotyping and their comparison were included. Current situation of management of spontaneous miscarriages was also observed through surveys and consultant views in Karachi. On the basis of the above mentioned piece of information, QF-PCR would be a good addition in the field of prenatal diagnosis. However, karyotyping is also a reliable method of prenatal diagnosis with little limitations.

The aim of the present study was to investigate biosurfactant-producing culturable bacteria inhabiting the coast of the Arabian Sea at Karachi. Overall, 15 seawater samples were collected from the Arabian Sea coast of Karachi. Isolation, characterization, and screening for 89 biosurfactant-producing bacterial strains were conducted through 8 conventional screening tests. Through GSP agar plate method 22 strains were found to be Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Gram reaction revealed 70% of the isolates to be gram-negative. Furthermore, 24% of the isolates showed hemolytic activity, 44% exhibited positive results for oil-spreading test, 54% showed emulsification to at least 1 of the 3 hydrocarbons tested, BATH assay results indicated maximum adhesion for hexane, 52.8% produced positive results for CTAB agar plate assay, drop-collapse activity was found in 84% of the isolates, and emulsification assay revealed highest emulsification for xylene. Findings revealed none of the isolates to be negative for every screening test conducted, while only one gram-negative isolate, DGHE65, identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was positive for all the tests for biosurfactant production. Results indicate that these isolates have potential for future environmental friendly applications such as bioremediation and industrial biotechnology.